Episode 33. The Matrix And The Struggle For Our Own Reality

Omer Abdullah
Careers, Creativity, Entrepreneurship, Leadership, Mental Mindset, People, Performance Management, Personal Development, Podcast

This month's podcast draw lessons from the world around us, specifically the sports and entertainment arenas. I focus on specific games or movies or entertainers and the lessons we can draw from what they've done or experienced or said.

In today's podcast, I recount a story from the movie, The Matrix and how it speaks to our need to be ourselves, to not get taken in by someone else's agenda, to create our own reality. It's just a movie, but the messages in it are very much a reflection of ourselves and our reality.

Episode 32. It Ain't Over Til It's Over - Lessons From Super Bowl 51

Omer Abdullah
Careers, Entrepreneurship, Leadership, Mental Mindset, People, Performance Management, Personal Development

This month's podcast draw lessons from the world around us, specifically the sports and entertainment arenas. I focus on specific games or movies or entertainers and the lessons we can draw from what they've done or experienced or said.

In today's podcast, I go back to Super Bowl 51 and the amazing comeback that the New England Patriots made in that game, and what it can teach us all about perseverance and achievement in the face of the worst possible odds.

Episode 31. The Value Of First Principles In Difficult Times

Omer Abdullah
Careers, Communications, Entrepreneurship, Leadership, Mental Mindset, People, Performance Management, Personal Development, Podcast

Today’s podcast is about what we do when we’re trying to get ourselves back on our feet, when we’re going through hard times and we need to re-center - as an individual or as a business.

It’s about the value of First Principles and the kinds of things we need to consider, understand and adopt when we're navigating a crisis.

Episode 30. How To Deal With Change

Omer Abdullah
Careers, Entrepreneurship, Leadership, Management consulting, Mental Mindset, People, Personal Development

In today's podcast, I continue this month's riff on uncertainty and risk, and talk about change. It's a topic that we all have to deal with, whether we like it or not.

Change is a critical part of our growth and how we deal with it is make or break. This episode discusses the two key steps that I believe we need to take to tackle the change we see in our lives, head on.

Episode 29. The Point Is Productive Struggle

Omer Abdullah
Careers, Creativity, Entrepreneurship, Leadership, Management consulting, Mental Mindset, People, Performance Management, Personal Development, Podcast

Today’s podcast is about the concept of "productive struggle", this idea that our success in life is based on our ability to work through difficult issues and problems without knowing or having the path handed to us.

It was inspired by a quote from my daughter’s math teacher at parent night a while back. He spoke about the need for us to engage in struggle to get to where we need to go, and that despite our search for easy answers, the struggle was entirely the point. The concept intrigued me and that’s what I’ll discuss in this episode.

Episode 28. Moving Beyond Worry

Omer Abdullah
Careers, Communications, Entrepreneurship, Leadership, People, Personal Development, Podcast, Mental Mindset

On today’s podcast, I tackle a topic that we all grapple with, something we all need to deal with and manage at one point or another - worry and how to get beyond it.

How much time have we spent worrying about things that haven't happened, things that have little chance of actually happening, or that may never actually happen? Let's stop turning things over in our heads and, instead, get to work, moving forward. In this episode, I suggest how we might be able to do that.

Episode 27. Consulting War Stories - The Starbucks Lemon Loaf Incident

Omer Abdullah
Careers, Leadership, Management consulting, People, Podcast

To close out this month, I share one more story from my life in Management Consulting, where I spent a decade prior to my entrepreneurial journey. Where some of my most interesting lessons from that time had nothing to do with the work and everything to do with people.

In today's episode, I talk about the Starbucks Lemon Loaf Incident - an incident that taught me a little bit more about this idea of character and who we are. That isn't to suggest it can tell us everything about ourselves and others, but it can tell us something.

Episode 26. Consulting War Stories - Working With Difficult People

Omer Abdullah
Careers, Communications, Entrepreneurship, Management consulting, Personal Development, People

After a brief hiatus last week, I want to get back to this month’s podcast theme, where I share stories from my life in Management Consulting, where I spent a decade prior to my entrepreneurial journey. And some of my most interesting lessons from that time had nothing to do with the work and everything to do with people.

In today's episode, I share a story about an especially difficult person I worked with and how we learnt to get along, despite the fact that I had made it clear that I never wanted to work with this person ever again.

Episode 25. 10 Principles In A Time of Fear and Emotion

Omer Abdullah
Communications, Entrepreneurship, Leadership

With everything that's going on in the world with regards COVID19, market movements and the subsequent talk of a recession, I wanted to take a slight detour from this month's theme of Management consulting stories and talk about how we balance facts with emotions.

Specifically, in today's podcast, I discuss how we can make the best decisions when our desire for objectivity seems overwhelmed by our emotions. Specifically, I outline the 10 underlying principles that help guide decision-making during times of fear, risk and uncertainty.

Episode 24. Consulting War Stories - Replicating Culture

Omer Abdullah
Careers, Communications, Management consulting, Performance Management, Personal Development

On this month’s podcasts, I share stories from my life in Management Consulting, where I spent a decade prior to my entrepreneurial journey. And some of my most interesting lessons from that time had nothing to do with the work and everything to do with people.

In today's episode, I remember a question I was once asked about how, as a consulting firm, we were able to replicate high performing cultures. I've thought about that ever since and it's taught me - and can teach all of us - a whole lot about what we can do to make such cultures replicable.

Episode 23. Consulting War Stories - The Art of Presentation

Omer Abdullah
Careers, Communications, Management consulting, Personal Development, Podcast

On this month’s podcasts, I share stories from my life in Management Consulting, where I spent a decade prior to my entrepreneurial journey. And some of my most interesting lessons from that time had nothing to do with the work and everything to do with people.

In today's episode, I recount the lifelong lesson I learned from the senior partner on my very first engagement at the firm.

Episode 22. When We Hear Marketing Bull Sh*t

Omer Abdullah
Careers, Communications, Entrepreneurship, Podcast

Today’s podcast wraps up this month’s focus on Sales and Marketing - subjects that are both loved and hated. Every successful enterprise needs great marketing.

This episode focuses on how we talk about Marketing and Sales. Specifically, how we casually use terms such as "marketing bull shit" and why that points to a deeper, underlying problem within the company. And that needs to change.

Episode 18. Don't Join The Herd

Omer Abdullah
Careers, Entrepreneurship, Performance Management, Personal Development, Podcast

This month’s podcasts will focus - fittingly as we kick off 2020 - on the topic of "Aspirations”, or what is it that we want, what these wants involve and what tradeoffs we need to make to get what we want. 

In today’s podcast, I wrap up this month’s discussions by reiterating what should be a key guiding principle - that our decisions need to be ours and we need to own them. Our judgement is our own best guide and we need to ensure we don’t simply follow the herd.

Episode 17. We Have To Take That Uncomfortable Step

Omer Abdullah
Careers, Entrepreneurship, Performance Management, Personal Development, Podcast

This month’s podcasts will focus - fittingly as we kick off 2020 - on The topic of Aspirations”, or what is it that we want, what these wants involve and what tradeoffs we need to make to get what we want. 

In today’s podcast, I talk about dealing with change when thinking about embarking on a new adventure. There’s a level of discomfort that arises and I’d like to talk about why it’s important for us to take that uncomfortable step forward. 

Episode 16. How To Decide If It's Worth Doing

Omer Abdullah
Entrepreneurship, Careers, Performance Management, Personal Development, Podcast

This month’s podcasts will focus - fittingly as we kick off 2020 - on The topic of Aspirations”, or what is it that we want, what these wants involve and what tradeoffs we need to be ready to make to get what we want. 

In today’s podcast, I step beyond the conceptual ideas of the last couple of weeks and talk about how we make choices.  Specifically, how do we decide if something is worth doing?

Episode 15. Finding Your Own Way

Omer Abdullah
Careers, Entrepreneurship, Performance Management, Personal Development, Podcast

This month’s podcasts will focus - fittingly as we kick off 2020 - on the topic of "Aspirations”, or what is it that we want, what these wants involve and what tradeoffs we need to be ready to make to get what we want.

In last week’s podcast, I talked about how our most important journeys don’t come with a map. Today’s podcast continues that discussion by focusing on the importance of finding our own way - how no one (other than ourselves) can promise and provide us with our own personal path to success. 

Episode 14. Our Most Important Journeys Don't Come With A Map

Omer Abdullah
Careers, Entrepreneurship, Personal Development, Podcast

This month’s podcasts focus - fittingly, as we kick off 2020 - on the topic of "Aspirations”, or what is it that we want, what these wants involve and what tradeoffs we need to be ready to make to get what we want. 

Today’s podcast will lay the foundation for our conversation, by getting my first, most fundamental idea on the table, and that is that our most Important Journeys do Not Come With a Map.

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